Biofortification using inorganic selenium has become an effective strategy to enhance selenium content in crops. In the present study, the effects of selenium biofortification on the chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of black soybean (BS) during germination were studied. The contents of selenium, total sugar, vitamin C, γ-aminobutyric acid, total polyphenols, and total flavonoids in selenium biofortified germinated black soybeans (GBS-Se) significantly increased compared to germinated black soybeans (GBS). However, the contents of soluble protein, fat, and reducing sugar were decreased, while fatty acid composition was not significantly different between GBS and BS. HPLC analysis showed that 12 phenolic acids of all samples, which mainly existed in free forms. Their contents increased at low concentration of selenium and decreased along with the rise of selenium concentrations. The antioxidant activity of GBS-Se as analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis positively correlated with the accumulation of phenolic substances. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that GBS and GBS-Se were significantly different from BS. Moreover, the physicochemical indexes of GBS showed regularly changes with increasing selenium content, and those of GBS-Se50 and GBS-Se75 were significantly different from GBS. The results provide a systematic evaluation on the effect of selenium fortification on the germination of seeds and useful information for the development of Se-enriched functional foods.
Background and Objective
Biofortification with inorganic selenium has become a key strategy to enhance selenium content in crops. This study aimed to investigate the changes of phenolic compounds and their effects on antimicrobial and antioxidant activities during in vitro digestion of selenium biofortified germinated black soybeans (GBS‐Se).
Findings
The bioaccessibility of total polyphenols and total flavonoids in GBS‐Se were significantly lower than those of germinated black soybeans (GBS). p‐Coumaric acid and salicylic acid in GBS‐Se and GBS increased significantly in the oral phase; syringic acid and benzoic acid were the main phenolic acids in the gastric phase, while phenolic acids decreased continuously in the intestinal phase. There was some minor difference between the antioxidant activities of GBS‐Se and GBS in vitro digested products, but their 2,2'‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power reducing capacities increased compared with those before digestion. In addition, inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were observed only in undigested black soybean phenolic extracts.
Conclusions
Selenium fortification affected the phenolic compounds and their bioaccessibility of GBS, which should be considered in nutrition research.
Significance and Novelty
These results could help systematically evaluate the effect of selenium fortification on the digestibility of phenolic compounds in GBS and provide a reference for the development and application of Se‐enriched functional foods.
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